Promises to Keep
by Luinramwen
Summary: I bet you knew that something like this would happen. But I'm still coming back. Don't you ever think I won't.... Could possibly be KT, depending on how much you're squinting.


A/N - I know it's maybe not what you were expecting, or hoping for, as I know I had promised several other things to be posted before I started anything new. Understand, this is probably going to be a one-time thing only. This is the closest thing to a drabble that I've actually written (and it's still way too long to technically be one), so enjoy. It didn't fit in with the aDoS theme, or the tPoS theme either, so for now it is totally separate. And if I turn this into a drabble/one-shot series as well, I only hope someone will have the courtesy and common sense to maim me, or at least send me a very threatening review to me so that I will stop writing one-shots and start posting stories with actual chapters.

And I do hope I'm the only one who sees a certain phrase as weird, as that phrase was not intentionally meant to sound like I was talking about a pastry rather than a person (even though I did decide to keep it simply because it amused me). If you spot it and think I didn't make a good decision, please feel free to tell me.

Disclaimer - For 0.000000000000000001 of a second, I owned TRC. So, _ha!_

-

You'd understand.

If you were here, you'd understand... Tomoyo.

It's your sort of thing - knowing what other people think and why they think it, and then leaning back with that mischievous smile on your face, that awful, amused giggle telling the world that you know something it doesn't, and that something amuses you greatly.

Would you laugh, now, Tomoyo? Sometimes I think I can hear you laughing, even here, so very far from, those high silvery tones ringing constantly in my head, echoing, echoing. Are you laughing at me, even now?

I wouldn't put it past you.

I might not even blame you for it. I guess from your point of view this whole thing could be almost funny.

The guy who said his only goal was to return to you now has more promises than he knows what to do with. I don't know what happened, really. It's stupid. I bet you knew. I bet you knew that something like this would happen. Maybe not this, precisely, because god knows, if you _knew_ I'd end up as the protector and... 'Daddy' to as dysfunctional a - a 'family' as this one - including a crazed manju, a flaky liar with a centre of bitter guilt, and two - no, three - kids, I'd... I'd...

I'd figure that out when I got back.

Because I am still coming back. Don't you ever think I won't.

It'll take a little longer... that's all. I have promises to keep, more than just that one that I made to you before you sent me away. I swore I'd return to you - and I will. First, however, there are things I must do.

I have to find the man who killed my mother, the one responsible for that, and the one responsible for all the strangeness behind this journey that you sent me on. I have to find him. I _will_ find him. And it will be the one time that I will allow that curse you placed on me to work. I will kill this man for all the pain that he's caused. I don't care what the price is. Sometimes the result outweighs even the steepest price.

I have to look after that mage. The bastard doesn't know yet that maybe he wants to live. I have to stay with him, make sure he stays alive, until he realizes that. It's important that he does, though I don't think I could explain why if you asked me. Maybe you understand anyways, without me needing to tell you. You were always good at that.

I have to guard those kids. I have to guard them with my life. They're important - and I think I'm finally starting to understand why. Their lives are important... although whether they are meant to live, or meant to die, so that the man who I am going to kill will fail doesn't matter. I will protect them and keep them alive. All three - even that other - if I can. They will live. They've been through enough. And... Kami-sama help me, but... I think they've grown on me.

Once I have kept those promises, I will fulfill the one that is still closest to my heart.

And I'll be back. Never forget that.


End file.
